blindsdrilldrywallwalls
I want to install blinds in my kitchen.
However, I can't figure out if the wall is wood or plaster.
I need to know this before starting to drill because the holding mechanism for the blinds, it can't take screws with the plastic caps. The screw holes are too narrow to fit the screws inside the plastic.
So how do I find out if the wall is wood or plaster or dry wall or something.
Make a bow drill:
Get a block of wood big enough to hold in your hand. Scrape out small hole in the wood. The non-pointy end of the drill bit goes in that hole. This is called the "hand hold".
You're going to use this wood block to push the drill bit against the door.
Make a bow with some strong wood and strong string. Wrap the string around the drill bit, perhaps a couple times to get a good grip on the bit.
Drill into the wood by pushing on the handhold and moving the bow.
You can find more thorough instructions on creating a bow drill for firestarting here:
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/bowdrill/pmoc/basicbowdrill.html
What you need to use is a fastener called a "toggle bolt". They come in small sizes (1/8 inch, screw diameter) up to 1/4 inch. Depending on the weight of your item the larger the toggle the more it can support. A toggle bolt is a threaded machine screw that uses a pair of spring loaded wings (anchors) as a nut. Mark the location for the hole and use a slot head screw driver to bore through the dry wall. I'm guessing that the metal you encountered is most likely the lathing for the plaster (or stucco?) wall. Either way,try to make an oversized opening into the bay of the wall. Put the toggle screw through the item and thread toggle wings onto threads. Push the two wings together and wiggle them into the wall opening. The wings will expand behind the drywall. All that's left is to tighten the screwhead. Finito.
Best Answer
Remove an outlet or switch plate and look at what the edges of the wall are. It should be immediately obvious if they're wood paneling or something. Otherwise, it'll be plaster or drywall. Drywall will have straight edges and a chalky core, while plaster is more organic-looking and flowing, and will have wooden supports behind it.
Regardless, it's actually irrelevant for the task at hand. Your blinds should be screwed into something structural, like a wall stud, and not the wall finish material. There should be a stud up against the edge of the window, right underneath the finish material, so if you drill deep enough, you'll hit it.